CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown police are providing suggestions to reduce the odds of residents becoming victims of property crime.
Theft from vehicles
The vast majority of thefts from vehicles that occur in Charlottetown require no forced entry.
It is a crime of opportunity, and thieves will target vehicles that are left unlocked.
A recent trend is thieves stealing purses and wallets from vehicles and using credit/debit cards that have tap features enabled.
This trend could easily be eliminated if people did not leave their wallets and purses inside their vehicles.
Most of these thefts occur from vehicles that are not locked.
If residents don’t leave these items in their vehicles and keep the doors locked, using stolen credit/debit cards would be virtually eliminated.
Two tips:
- Remove valuable from vehicles
- Lock vehicle doors
Theft from sheds
Sheds also get targeted by thieves who tend to steal items like power tools, chainsaws, whipper snippers and sporting items such as snowboards and bicycles.
Unlike theft from vehicles, thieves will use force to gain entry in many cases.
They will carry bolt cutters and pry bars to help them gain entry.
Police suggest that homeowners re-enforce their sheds.
Some tips include:
- Sufficient lighting at night.
- Re-enforce windows and door frames.
- Purchase shrouded shackle padlocks. Although more expensive to purchase, these are designed to be more difficult to cut and breach.
- Itemize personal property. Record the make, model and serial numbers of personal items.
